# List/discuss your Starwars quandaries here... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 22, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288 "2003-03-22T03:54:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![by-tor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/by-tor/32/266_2.png) [@by-tor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/by-tor)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/1 "2003-03-22T03:54:59Z")
Ok, so far I have five. 1. In the beginning of Phantom Menace, the Jedis are shown to be able to run super quick when getting away from the destroyer droids but later in the movie Obi-wan is unable to run fast enough to get through the force fields to help his master. What’s up with that? 2. In Phantom Menace, Anakin is told to not think but feel in order to use the force but in AOTC Anakin is told to “think, use the force.” Which is it? Think or don’t think to use the force? Or maybe he meant think and use the force but wouldn’t thinking get in the way? 3. In AOTC Jango dives for Mace’s lightsaber. Why didn’t he just shoot Mace right then and there instead? 4. If Palpatine is a Sith why can’t Yoda sense the darkside in him like he can in Dooku? By the way, is Dooku the dumbest name for a bad guy ever or what? 5. Why didn’t Darth Maul just cut Obi-wan in half when he fliped over him in Phantom Menace? Ok, so the movie would have ended on a bad note. (= I am sure there is more, feel free to list your own. Oh, I thought of a sixth. What is up with all the bad acting in the new series? Is it the script or directing or do most of these actors really just suck? ---
**Author:** ![JDeMobray](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@JDeMobray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JDeMobray)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/2 "2003-03-22T04:10:59Z")
Of what, precisely, is Princess Leia princess? Her mother was a Queen, but on Naboo the title isn’t hereditary (any more than we would call one of George Bush’s sons “Mr. President” . . . okay, bad example, but you get my drift.) ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/3 "2003-03-22T04:15:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JDeMobray \* > \*\*Of what, precisely, is Princess Leia princess? Her mother was a Queen, but on Naboo the title isn’t hereditary (any more than we would call one of George Bush’s sons “Mr. President” . . . okay, bad example, but you get my drift.) \*\* I was under the impression that “princess” was her title for Alderaan, _not_ Naboo. After all, nobody’s supposed to know she was Amidala’s daughter, just that she was the (adopted?) daughter of Bail Organa. ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/4 "2003-03-22T04:22:10Z")
True, **SolGrundy** , Princess Leia Organa is princess of Alderaan; Bail Organa was King, I assume. I’d like to know why Leia doesn’t take the last name of Solo when she marries, or even changing to Skywalker–is it because she’s a politician ans well-known by her original name? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/5 "2003-03-22T04:26:27Z")
Why didn’t Kirk ever tell Bones to just shut the hell up. Why was he always butting into command decisions. He was a doctor, not a tactician! What? ---
**Author:** ![Ender\_Will](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Ender\_Will](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ender_Will)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/6 "2003-03-22T09:12:55Z")
Here’s a question, directed at the OP: Why are you nitpicking about the prequels? Honestly! Just go watch _A New Hope_ and stop worrying about it. And as long as we’re on the Leia topic, how can she be _so_ much hotter at the begining of _Jedi_ than the end? Did not age well, I tell you what…must be that dry desert air. Or maybe Hutts emit something, or possibly the Sarlaac does. I want a speeder bike. ---
**Author:** ![by-tor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/by-tor/32/266_2.png) [@by-tor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/by-tor)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/7 "2003-03-22T12:58:14Z")
Just having fun Ender\_Will. Don’t take it personally. I would go watch ANH if Lucas would just put it out on DVD already (no vcr here). (= ---
**Author:** ![Severian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@Severian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Severian)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/8 "2003-03-22T14:41:53Z")
What’s up with Chewbacca’s grooming habits (note progression {regression?} from ANH to RoTJ)? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/9 "2003-03-22T15:49:41Z")
IIRC, in _A New Hope_, 4 planets are mentioned by name: Tatooine, Alderaan, Dantooine, and Yavin. What’s up with _Ta-/Dan-tooine_? A whole galaxy of made-up planet names to pick from and Lucas has to give us two whose names are one syllable off? ---
**Author:** ![ResIpsaLoquitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@ResIpsaLoquitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ResIpsaLoquitor)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/10 "2003-03-22T16:30:27Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. In the beginning of Phantom Menace, the Jedis are shown to be able to run super quick when getting away from the destroyer droids but later in the movie Obi-wan is unable to run fast enough to get through the force fields to help his master. What’s up with that? Easy: using the force requires concentration. You see this even in Episode V when Yoda lifts the X-Wing: there’s clearly a mental tension. The result is that Obi-Wan was probably channelling his force-abilities into his fighting, and wasn’t able to sidetrack to super-speed fast enough. His fault. > [@](#): > > 1. In Phantom Menace, Anakin is told to not think but feel in order to use the force but in AOTC Anakin is told to “think, use the force.” Which is it? Think or don’t think to use the force? Or maybe he meant think and use the force but wouldn’t thinking get in the way? Did you hear this right? I’m positive Qui-Gon told Anakin “Feel, don’t think, use your instincts,” the same as Obi-Wan told Luke in Episode IV. > [@](#): > > 1. In AOTC Jango dives for Mace’s lightsaber. Why didn’t he just shoot Mace right then and there instead? Did he have his pistols at the time? Maybe it occurred to him that Mace would be able to dodge the bullets or deflect them with his force powers? (After all, Yoda absorbs Sith lightning a few scenes later.) Strategically, Jango must have felt that it would be better to disarm Mace first, since Jedi rely heavily on their lightsabers. Obviously, this cost him. > [@](#): > > 1. If Palpatine is a Sith why can’t Yoda sense the darkside in him like he can in Dooku? Who says Yoda doesn’t know? Did you notice the sneer on his face in Palpatine’s office? Alternatively, since they’ve been supposedly extinct for 1,000 years, how could the Jedi recognize a Sith? (Even Qui-Gon had to speculate that Maul was one.) Yoda points out that the shroud of the dark side has fallen at the film’s end, and earlier, Mace stated that the Jedi’s ability to use the force was diminished. The bottom line: the Jedi’s powers are on the fritz. Finally: who says Palpatine is a Sith? Even the official site lists Palpatine and Darth Sidious as two different people. (Snicker.) > [@](#): > > 1. Why didn’t Darth Maul just cut Obi-wan in half when he fliped over him in Phantom Menace? Ok, so the movie would have ended on a bad note. Shock. Maul doesn’t exactly have a lot of experience fighting Jedi. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/11 "2003-03-22T18:10:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BuckleberryFerry \* > \*\*True, **SolGrundy** , Princess Leia Organa is princess of Alderaan; Bail Organa was King, I assume. > > I’d like to know why Leia doesn’t take the last name of Solo when she marries, or even changing to Skywalker–is it because she’s a politician ans well-known by her original name? \*\* Bail is Viceroy of Alderaan. Leia DOES take the name Solo-she is Leia Organa Solo. Same with Luke’s wife, who is Mara Jade Skywalker. Why should she change it to Skywalker? As far as Leia is concerned, Bail Organa was her father-he raised her and all that. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/12 "2003-03-22T18:56:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KneadToKnow \* > \*\*IIRC, in _A New Hope_, 4 planets are mentioned by name: Tatooine, Alderaan, Dantooine, and Yavin. What’s up with _Ta-/Dan-tooine_? A whole galaxy of made-up planet names to pick from and Lucas has to give us two whose names are one syllable off? \*\* Dunno, what’s up with Iceland and Ireland? Place names aren’t assigned randomly in real life, after all – one would expect them to mean _something_, so a couple of similar-sounding names have a more plausible ring than totally arbitrary combinations of syllables. I think we’re supposed to assume the -_tooine_ suffix has a specific meaning, even if it’s never stated in the film. ---
**Author:** ![raisinbread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8491ac/32.png) [@raisinbread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raisinbread)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/13 "2003-03-22T19:16:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*Leia DOES take the name Solo-she is Leia Organa Solo. Same with Luke’s wife, who is Mara Jade Skywalker. > \*\* Mara who? Books are not canon. yes i nitpick ---
**Author:** ![ResIpsaLoquitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@ResIpsaLoquitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ResIpsaLoquitor)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/14 "2003-03-22T19:19:33Z")
“Books are not canon.” And yet Lucas has borrowed repeatedly from the novels and comics in the Prequels, the planet Coruscant being the most prominent example. So nyah. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/15 "2003-03-22T20:05:59Z")
Yes. They. Are. According to LFL, everything is canon, as long as there is no Infinities logo. As long as it does NOT contradict the books, it is canon. Go to [soulofthejedi.net](http://soulofthejedi.net) if you want to discuss how the EU is not canon. But it IS! -Captain, Delta 4 EUDF ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/16 "2003-03-22T20:13:20Z")
Why did the rebels even bother blowing up the Death Star? That place was an OSHA nightmare! There are technicians practically standing in the path of the planet-zapping lazer, and there’s not so much as a flashing light to warn them, massive metal doors that come crashing closed whether someone’s standing there or not, and catwalks over bottomless pits without even a handrail. It would have killed more Imperial troops by accident just keeping it staffed than the rebellion could ever manage to wipe out on their own. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/17 "2003-03-22T20:17:01Z")
How come the first I saw Star Wars, Han Solo killed Greedo in cold blood, but the next time I saw it Greedo fired first? Just kidding. ---
**Author:** ![ResIpsaLoquitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@ResIpsaLoquitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ResIpsaLoquitor)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/18 "2003-03-22T20:22:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Why did the rebels even bother blowing up the Death Star? That place was an OSHA nightmare! There are technicians practically standing in the path of the planet-zapping lazer, and there’s not so much as a flashing light to warn them, massive metal doors that come crashing closed whether someone’s standing there or not, and catwalks over bottomless pits without even a handrail. It would have killed more Imperial troops by accident just keeping it staffed than the rebellion could ever manage to wipe out on their own. Palpatine wanted to keep costs down. Seriously, they offered to put handrails in, but he said “Oh, I’ll just be careful.” He then turned to Vader and said “When I’m on that thing, I want you with me at all times. The last thing I need is someone sneaking up behind me and tossing me down one of those pits.” I’m not kidding. See Kevin Rubio’s “A Death Star is Born” in Star Wars Tales, Vol. 1, which is obviously a non-canonical parody story. ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/19 "2003-03-22T21:07:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*Bail is Viceroy of Alderaan. > > Leia DOES take the name Solo-she is Leia Organa Solo. Same with Luke’s wife, who is Mara Jade Skywalker. > > Why should she change it to Skywalker? As far as Leia is concerned, Bail Organa was her father-he raised her and all that. \*\* Bah. I knew that. I’ve not read the books in a while. Forgive me. ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288/20 "2003-03-22T21:47:01Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. In the beginning of Phantom Menace, the Jedis are shown to be able to run super quick when getting away from the destroyer droids but later in the movie Obi-wan is unable to run fast enough to get through the force fields to help his master. What’s up with that? If you have played “Jedi Knight 2,” the answer is clear. I assume he accidently left his “Force Absorb” power on from the previous fighting and did not have enough energy left to use “Force speed.” Rookie mistake, I expected better from him. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-discuss-your-starwars-quandaries-here/163288.md?page=2)